This invention relates to a device for supplying tubular workpieces such as couplings adapted to interconnect pipes and mounted on a truck, sequentially to a subsequent stage where the workpieces are combined with other members such as sections of pipes.
Heretofore, the tubular workpieces such as couplings, particularly of medium sizes are encased by a manufacturer in boxes or placed on pallets in an orderly manner, and then delivered to an assembling shop to be coupled with pipes, for example.
In order to pick up the tubular workpieces stacked up in an orderly manner, and to sequentially supply the workpieces to the subsequent assembling stage, various apparatus have been used. For instance, an electromagnet of a specific design has been utilized for attracting and transporting the tubular workpieces made of magnetic material, from the stack to the subsequent stage. Such an expedient, however, is found to be disadvantageous, because some of the tubular workpieces tend to drop or displace, thus hampering the resulting orderly supply of the tubular workpieces to the subsequent stage.